oled leaves. The flowers of these plants show a more or 
less distinct constriction toward the apex of the lip to 
form an apical suborbicular lobule, but this constriction 
is really very slight. These specimens were collected in 
March at about 2,500 to 2,900 meters altitude. 
The type of S.minutifiora was obtained at Chiapas, 
Mexico, at about 6,600 feet altitude. It is a leafless plant 
about 23 cm. tall, but does not include any root-system 
such as the fleshy ellipsoid tubers of the Ostlund speci- 
mens. It has, however, the racemes of similarly loosely 
disposed flowers. No constriction of the anterior margin 
of the lip is described or indicated in Galeotti’s drawing 
from the type specimen of S.minutiflora. However, the 
flowers of the Galeotti plant, like those of the Ostlund 
specimens, are distinctly mature (with swollen ovaries) 
and the constriction might not be evident. 
Spiranthes nutantiflora originated from Guatemala, 
but very near to the Mexican type locality of S.manuti- 
flora. \t is a plant about 6 cm. high and the raceme is 
described as subdense. The drawing of its lip shows a dis- 
tinct anterior constriction forming a suborbicular apical 
lobe. It was found blooming in November at about 8,000 
meters altitude. ‘The somewhat greater altitude, earlier 
(seasonal) time of bloom, and the less mature flowers 
would easily account for the dwarf habit and dense in- 
florescence of this form. 
Specimens from Costa Rica, which are referred to 
S.nutantiflora, range from about 9.5—-22 cm. in height 
and show for the most part a few basal elliptical or ob- 
long-elliptical long-petioled leaves in a more or less well- 
preserved condition. They were collected from December 
29 to January 1 at 2,600 to 8,000 meters altitude. In 
these flowers, the anterior constriction of the lip is some- 
what indistinct. 
It is theretore evident that the height of the plant, 
[1381 | 
